1. Please intercede for Malaysia 13th General Election - 05/05/2013
2. Please intercede for Lt. Colonels Thean Seng & Patricia Tan
3. Please intercede for Chin Khean, Eve Khean, Cindy, Eng Soon and Eng Heng Ooi.
4. Please intercede for Thean Sing, Mrs. Tan, Hock Hin, Grace & Matthew
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Announcements
1. Youth Worship
Date: 28/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Corps Worship Hall
All youth please take note.
2.Cell Group Ministry
Date: 03/05/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leader for more information.
3. Helping Hand Project
Aim & Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
4. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
5. CCM Combined Ascension Day Worship
Date: 09/05/13 (Thu); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: St. Georges Church
Please come and support the meeting.
6. Senior Citizen's Dinner Fellowship
Date: 11/05/13 (Sat); Time: 6:00pm; Venue: TBA
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
7. Parents' Day Celebration
Date: 25/05/13 (Sat); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
Date: 28/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Corps Worship Hall
All youth please take note.
2.Cell Group Ministry
Date: 03/05/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leader for more information.
3. Helping Hand Project
Aim & Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
4. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
5. CCM Combined Ascension Day Worship
Date: 09/05/13 (Thu); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: St. Georges Church
Please come and support the meeting.
6. Senior Citizen's Dinner Fellowship
Date: 11/05/13 (Sat); Time: 6:00pm; Venue: TBA
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
7. Parents' Day Celebration
Date: 25/05/13 (Sat); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Wanted: Someone to trust
Trust levels weren’t very much different in Bible times. On one occasion, Jesus was so impressed by a man’s absolute faith in his ability to heal that he was ‘amazed’ and commented: ‘I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!’ (Matthew 8:10 New Living Translation).
The man’s faith was surprising because he was a Gentile, someone who did not belong to the Jewish community. As a captain of the Roman Army, he was also of some considerable importance, responsible for the discipline and training of up to 100 soldiers who were part of the occupying military force.
He was concerned about his young servant’s illness and asked Jesus to heal him. Then he demonstrated the strength of his faith in Jesus: ‘Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed’ (5:8).
The centurion recognised in Jesus a greater authority than his own. And Jesus rewarded his faith: ‘Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened!’ (5:13).
The Bible describes faith as ‘the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen’ (Hebrews 11:1). The centurion clearly had a lot of faith, but some of us find it harder to come to that point of absolute trust.
Having faith in someone comes through personal knowledge and experience. Even then, we are often disappointed in the actions or reactions of family and friends who let us down when we need their support most.
Putting our faith and trust in Almighty God is the only sure antidote for uncertain and unsettling times in a topsy-turvy world or mundane life. He alone remains reliable and unchanging. Whatever our need, he will never let us down.
UK & Ireland War Cry April 2013
Photo credit: War Cry pictures
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Prayer Request
1. Please intercede for coming Malaysia 13th General Election - 05/05/2013
2. Please intercede for Choon Eng, Jenny, Scott and Chui Peng Ooi.
3. Please intercede for Chris, Shiela, Declan Lee
4. Please intercede for Dave, Lily, Daniel & Jacqueline Clarke
2. Please intercede for Choon Eng, Jenny, Scott and Chui Peng Ooi.
3. Please intercede for Chris, Shiela, Declan Lee
4. Please intercede for Dave, Lily, Daniel & Jacqueline Clarke
Announcements
1. Youth Special
Date: 21/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Corps Worship Hall
All youth please take note.
2.Cell Group Ministry
Date: 03/05/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leader for more information.
3. 75th Anniversary Committee Meeting
Date: 28/04/13 (Sun); Time: 12:30pm; Venue: Worship Hall
All committees please take note and attend.
4. Helping Hand Project
Date: 01/05/13(Sat); Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
5. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
6. CCM Combined Ascension Day Worship
Date: 09/05/13 (Thu); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: St. Georges Church
Please come and support the meeting.
7. Senior Citizen's Dinner Fellowship
Date: 11/05/13 (Sat); Time: 6:00pm; Venue: TBA
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
Date: 21/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Corps Worship Hall
All youth please take note.
2.Cell Group Ministry
Date: 03/05/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leader for more information.
3. 75th Anniversary Committee Meeting
Date: 28/04/13 (Sun); Time: 12:30pm; Venue: Worship Hall
All committees please take note and attend.
4. Helping Hand Project
Date: 01/05/13(Sat); Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
5. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
6. CCM Combined Ascension Day Worship
Date: 09/05/13 (Thu); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: St. Georges Church
Please come and support the meeting.
7. Senior Citizen's Dinner Fellowship
Date: 11/05/13 (Sat); Time: 6:00pm; Venue: TBA
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
God's Lot
When America sneezes, the UK catches cold. Not the most in-depth
analysis of transatlantic relations maybe, but history suggests it’s a
fair rule of thumb. Whether it’s rock’n’roll, 'Dallas', ‘OK’ or
sub-prime mortgages, what goes big Stateside eventually gets picked up
on these island shores.
A ten-part series, which concluded on Easter Day, has been the latest must-see that’s caused American viewers to flock round their TV sets. According to 'The Guardian', the History channel’s 'The Bible' was the top-rated Sunday night cable show, with 50 million people watching at least part of an episode. Programme producer Mark Burnett told 'The Washington Post': ‘It’s a really important series because the Bible is the book that changed the world.’
While the series was not available to UK viewers - though it is surely only a matter of time before it has a second coming - the Bible received further pre-Easter endorsement from a more unexpected source.
In 2001, children’s author Philip Pullman, an honorary associate of the National Secular Society, told that same newspaper that he was trying to ‘undermine the basis of Christian belief’. Last month, 'The Times' reported him telling the Oxford Literary Festival that ‘it was “very important” for children to be familiar with biblical stories’.
‘Jesus,’ he said, ‘was a great storyteller. To invent the story about the good Samaritan - you hear it once [and] you never forget it, you tell it to someone and it still has the same effect. The man was a genius of storytelling, if nothing else.’
Only time will tell whether Pullman will be convinced that the biblical Jesus was considerably more than a yarn-spinning genius. Meanwhile, those who approach the biblical account of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection with an open mind and open heart will discover that the Bible is still the book that changes the world.
UK & Ireland War Cry April 2013
A ten-part series, which concluded on Easter Day, has been the latest must-see that’s caused American viewers to flock round their TV sets. According to 'The Guardian', the History channel’s 'The Bible' was the top-rated Sunday night cable show, with 50 million people watching at least part of an episode. Programme producer Mark Burnett told 'The Washington Post': ‘It’s a really important series because the Bible is the book that changed the world.’
While the series was not available to UK viewers - though it is surely only a matter of time before it has a second coming - the Bible received further pre-Easter endorsement from a more unexpected source.
In 2001, children’s author Philip Pullman, an honorary associate of the National Secular Society, told that same newspaper that he was trying to ‘undermine the basis of Christian belief’. Last month, 'The Times' reported him telling the Oxford Literary Festival that ‘it was “very important” for children to be familiar with biblical stories’.
‘Jesus,’ he said, ‘was a great storyteller. To invent the story about the good Samaritan - you hear it once [and] you never forget it, you tell it to someone and it still has the same effect. The man was a genius of storytelling, if nothing else.’
Only time will tell whether Pullman will be convinced that the biblical Jesus was considerably more than a yarn-spinning genius. Meanwhile, those who approach the biblical account of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection with an open mind and open heart will discover that the Bible is still the book that changes the world.
UK & Ireland War Cry April 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Prayer Request
1. Please intercede for coming MalaysiaYouth Camp & CCM AGM Meeting
2. Please intercede for Freddy, Alice, Ailyn & Daniel Cheong
3. Please intercede for Kim Aun, Jasinta, Jonathan & Joshua Lim
4. Please intercede for Maj. Pascoe, Comm. Lim Ah Ang & Pui Chan.
2. Please intercede for Freddy, Alice, Ailyn & Daniel Cheong
3. Please intercede for Kim Aun, Jasinta, Jonathan & Joshua Lim
4. Please intercede for Maj. Pascoe, Comm. Lim Ah Ang & Pui Chan.
Announcements
1. Youth Outing
Date: 14/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Outing
All youth please take note.
2.Cell Group Ministry
Date: 19/04/13 (Sun); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leader for more information.
3. Helping Hand Project
Date: 01/05/13(Sat); Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
4. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
5. CCM Combined Ascension Day Worship
Date: 09/05/13 (Thu); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: St. Georges Church
Please come and support the meeting.
6. Senior Citizen's Dinner Fellowship
Date: 11/05/13 (Sat); Time: 6:00pm; Venue: TBA
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
7. General Visit & Farewell to Colonel Gillian Downer
The General will be visiting Singapore and a public meeting to be held on 13/5/13, together with a farewell to our present Colonel. All are encourage to join. Please contact Corps Officer for more information.
Date: 14/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Outing
All youth please take note.
2.Cell Group Ministry
Date: 19/04/13 (Sun); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leader for more information.
3. Helping Hand Project
Date: 01/05/13(Sat); Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
4. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
5. CCM Combined Ascension Day Worship
Date: 09/05/13 (Thu); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: St. Georges Church
Please come and support the meeting.
6. Senior Citizen's Dinner Fellowship
Date: 11/05/13 (Sat); Time: 6:00pm; Venue: TBA
Please confirm your attendance with Major Tan or Sister Alice Ong.
7. General Visit & Farewell to Colonel Gillian Downer
The General will be visiting Singapore and a public meeting to be held on 13/5/13, together with a farewell to our present Colonel. All are encourage to join. Please contact Corps Officer for more information.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
SHARING THE VISION
April 2013
Dear friends:
There is something about Passion Week and Easter Sunday that engages us in a significant way. We have all perhaps participated in special services over this past weekend that sharpen our focus on the Cross and empty tomb. We probably seek each year to look at these events in Scripture with fresh eyes. When Isaac Watts encouraged us to ‘See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down…’ (SASB 136), he was not calling us to supernatural visions but to see in our mind’s eye the suffering of our Lord on our behalf. The Easter triumph caused Thomas Kelly to call us to another mental vision: ‘Look, ye saints! The sight is glorious; See the man of sorrows now, From the fight returned victorious…’ (SASB 147).
This salvation story can never be contained within a week’s timeframe. On the contrary! Every meeting we hold in The Salvation Army, every aspect of our mission, every personal commitment and ministry is inextricably connected to what happened in a specific place and time to secure our full salvation. The international vision must flow from that, or it is on a collision course with God’s will for us personally and for the Army.
When I wrote to you in February, I concluded my travel information with a sunrise service in Nepal. Since then I have had an extended visit to Korea, meetings in Bedford Corps (UK Territory with the republic of Ireland), ministry in Sweden and Switzerland, and the Easter weekend was spent at Sale Corps, Manchester (UKI). Each visit provided illustration after illustration of how God blesses his Army when people uplift the name of Jesus, declare with grace the gospel and keep faith with the mission he has given. Meetings are so diverse, cultures are different and music is varied. People hear the Word through various means and make life-changing decisions. People get saved. People experience the blessing of holiness. People commit again to serve the hurting, broken, lonely, dispossessed and lost.
It would be easy to paint a very glowing picture of what I see as I travel around the Army world. It is an indescribable blessing to actually see what God is doing in practical, concrete ways. No mental picture is required. But there are challenges too, lots of them! You know all about them as well, not only the uphill battles in ministry but also the personal mountains that seem impossible to climb. Viewing life with optimism does not come easily. Moving forward is easier said than done. But friends, please return to the eternal truths we saw during Passion Week and Easter Sunday. Our suffering, conquering Lord is with you, he will never fail you. His victory over sin and death is the final word. His resurrection power is yours for daily, moment-by-moment living.
Today live and serve in the strength of the Lord. Grasp each opportunity with tenacity. Be daring in hope.
Thank you for your witness and all you do to tell the world that there is power in the blood and in the name of Jesus.
Sincerely,
Linda Bond
General
Dear friends:There is something about Passion Week and Easter Sunday that engages us in a significant way. We have all perhaps participated in special services over this past weekend that sharpen our focus on the Cross and empty tomb. We probably seek each year to look at these events in Scripture with fresh eyes. When Isaac Watts encouraged us to ‘See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down…’ (SASB 136), he was not calling us to supernatural visions but to see in our mind’s eye the suffering of our Lord on our behalf. The Easter triumph caused Thomas Kelly to call us to another mental vision: ‘Look, ye saints! The sight is glorious; See the man of sorrows now, From the fight returned victorious…’ (SASB 147).
This salvation story can never be contained within a week’s timeframe. On the contrary! Every meeting we hold in The Salvation Army, every aspect of our mission, every personal commitment and ministry is inextricably connected to what happened in a specific place and time to secure our full salvation. The international vision must flow from that, or it is on a collision course with God’s will for us personally and for the Army.
When I wrote to you in February, I concluded my travel information with a sunrise service in Nepal. Since then I have had an extended visit to Korea, meetings in Bedford Corps (UK Territory with the republic of Ireland), ministry in Sweden and Switzerland, and the Easter weekend was spent at Sale Corps, Manchester (UKI). Each visit provided illustration after illustration of how God blesses his Army when people uplift the name of Jesus, declare with grace the gospel and keep faith with the mission he has given. Meetings are so diverse, cultures are different and music is varied. People hear the Word through various means and make life-changing decisions. People get saved. People experience the blessing of holiness. People commit again to serve the hurting, broken, lonely, dispossessed and lost.
It would be easy to paint a very glowing picture of what I see as I travel around the Army world. It is an indescribable blessing to actually see what God is doing in practical, concrete ways. No mental picture is required. But there are challenges too, lots of them! You know all about them as well, not only the uphill battles in ministry but also the personal mountains that seem impossible to climb. Viewing life with optimism does not come easily. Moving forward is easier said than done. But friends, please return to the eternal truths we saw during Passion Week and Easter Sunday. Our suffering, conquering Lord is with you, he will never fail you. His victory over sin and death is the final word. His resurrection power is yours for daily, moment-by-moment living.
Today live and serve in the strength of the Lord. Grasp each opportunity with tenacity. Be daring in hope.
Thank you for your witness and all you do to tell the world that there is power in the blood and in the name of Jesus.
Sincerely,
Linda Bond
General
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Prayer Request
1. Please intercede for coming Malaysia 13th General Election
2. Please intercede for Chin Khean, Ewe Khean, Cindy, Eng Soon, End Heng
3. Please intercede for Jerry & Magaret
4. Please intercede for Jimme Lee, Lt Col Bob & Wendy Lee
2. Please intercede for Chin Khean, Ewe Khean, Cindy, Eng Soon, End Heng
3. Please intercede for Jerry & Magaret
4. Please intercede for Jimme Lee, Lt Col Bob & Wendy Lee
Announcements
1. General Visit & Farewell to Colonel Gillian Downer
The General will be visiting Singapore and a public meeting to be held on 13/5/13, together with a farewell to our present Colonel. All are encourage to join. Please contact Corps Officer for more information.
2. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
3. Youth Fellowship
Date: 07/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Community Hall
Praise & Worship: Major Tan; Sharing: Joseph Hue; Games: Jihhan & William.
All youth please take note.
4. Prayer Ministry
Date: 02/04/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
All are welcome and please send us your prayer request.
5. Banana Leaf Ministry
Date: 13/04/13 (Sat); Time: 11:00am; Venue: Community Hall
Volunteers and helper are needed.
6. Corps Council Meeting
Date: 14/04/13 (Sun); Time: 12:45pm; Venue: Community Hall
All Corps Council members please take note and attend the meeting. Lunch will be provided.
7. Cell Group Ministry
Date: 19/04/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leaders for more information.
8. Helping Hand Project
Date: 01/05/13(Sat); Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
The General will be visiting Singapore and a public meeting to be held on 13/5/13, together with a farewell to our present Colonel. All are encourage to join. Please contact Corps Officer for more information.
2. Territorial Commander's Visit
Date: 05/05/13 (Sun); Time: 7:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Colonel Gillian Downer will be coming for her farewell visit to our corps. A pot bless dinner will be organized on that evening. Please contact Mrs Tan for arrangement of food.
3. Youth Fellowship
Date: 07/04/13 (Sun); Time: 7:30pm; Venue: Community Hall
Praise & Worship: Major Tan; Sharing: Joseph Hue; Games: Jihhan & William.
All youth please take note.
4. Prayer Ministry
Date: 02/04/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
All are welcome and please send us your prayer request.
5. Banana Leaf Ministry
Date: 13/04/13 (Sat); Time: 11:00am; Venue: Community Hall
Volunteers and helper are needed.
6. Corps Council Meeting
Date: 14/04/13 (Sun); Time: 12:45pm; Venue: Community Hall
All Corps Council members please take note and attend the meeting. Lunch will be provided.
7. Cell Group Ministry
Date: 19/04/13 (Fri); Time: 8:00pm; Venue: Community Hall
Please see your cell group leaders for more information.
8. Helping Hand Project
Date: 01/05/13(Sat); Purpose: Music Ministries In The Philippines
Brother and sister are encourage to collect old newspaper from friends, colleague, neighbour for the fund raising.Our target is to raise RM2,000 for this helping hand project.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Christian Faith Is Based On Fact
Professor, among your widely published evidence for the existence of God, you point to his all-powerful and all-knowing capacities. The Easter story includes the element of Jesus’ suffering, including his being abandoned by God. Why does an all-powerful, all-knowing God sometimes not answer prayer?
Primarily, God is not interested in us having a comfortable life but in us becoming saints.
Many prayers are for people to get well from disease. If God answered all those prayers immediately, there would be no scope for medical science. There would be no scope for us to help other people or for us to cope with the difficult circumstances of life - because they wouldn’t exist.
It is, for example, a great blessing for us to have serious choices about how we will cope with suffering and death. It is a fundamental truth about humans that each time we make a good choice we make it easier to make a good choice next time. Similarly, each time we make a bad choice we make it easier to make a bad choice next time. So gradually we form our character.
It is only when we are in particularly difficult circumstances that we have a really difficult choice as to the sort of person we are to be. If we take the right choice, we become saints. Disease, suffering and the possibility of death give us that opportunity. This explains to me why God doesn’t intervene very often - it would defeat the purposes for which he created us.
There is a redemptive element within suffering, then?
There is the availability of a redemptive element within suffering. It is up to us how we deal with suffering. If I have children, I expect to interact with them sometimes. If they ask me for something which might be good for them and they ask persistently, I might well give it to them.
God wants to interact with us and sometimes he will answer prayer. It is good that we should ask him, because this might be one of the occasions when he wants to give. Because God wants interaction, he doesn’t want to give us the good things unless we ask. I would expect God to answer prayer sometimes, but we often can’t know if it’s a good thing for us to have what we’re asking for.
Many people would agree that Jesus was a great teacher. What is the evidence that Jesus was more - that he was the Son of God?
When God created us he clearly created us, as regards this life, to be subject to a quite a lot of suffering. If, as a father, I make my children suffer for a good reason, there comes a time when I must suffer with them.
Likewise, God gave us free will. We abused it greatly. We need to make atonement for our sins. If we can’t atone for our sins, God might do it for us. For this reason, we might expect God to become incarnate - to take upon himself human nature. If he does become incarnate, we would expect him to live a certain sort of life: a good life, a life of suffering, a life in which he said he was making atonement for our sins, a life in which he showed that he believed himself to be God incarnate. All these things are true of Jesus.
One might also expect God to put his signature on that particular life to show uniquely that this was God incarnate. The Resurrection provides that kind of guarantee because if the Resurrection happened as the Bible describes - the coming to life again of somebody who was dead for 36 hours - then it was clearly a setting aside of the laws of nature and therefore something which the author of the laws of nature alone can do. There is enough good evidence as to why God should bring about a super miracle in connection with that particular individual.
The Resurrection is the confirmation of Jesus’ teaching. Given that he taught that he was God incarnate, it all fits together.
The validity of Christianity depends upon the resurrection of Jesus. What evidence is there for the Resurrection?
We would expect a resurrection to be associated with a prophet who led the sort of life and did the sort of things that Jesus did.
There have been many purported ‘messiahs’ who did not claim to be God or to be making atonement for our sins, or who did not lead very good lives, but Jesus is the only prophet in the whole of human history who satisfied all these prior requirements. There is also no founder of a religion with whom there is associated the kind of evidence that there is for the Resurrection. No other founder is associated with an end-of-life miracle.
There are two kinds of historical evidence for the Resurrection. First, the tomb was empty. If he were risen from the dead, we would expect his tomb to be empty. That the tomb was empty is sometimes explained as something that was read back into history in order to explain appearances of Jesus to his followers. That is clearly not so, because the Gospel of Matthew records that the Jews claimed the disciples had stolen the body. By claiming this, they were admitting that the tomb was empty. It seems to me, therefore, that the tomb was empty.
Secondly, a lot of people [more than 500] are reported to have interacted with Jesus after the Resurrection. Three of the Gospels report that a number of people had up-close encounters with Jesus. The Gospel that doesn’t - Mark (of which the final verses after 16:9 are probably lost) - still records Jesus prophesying the Resurrection. The Gospels, and Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians, list various people who saw Jesus after the Resurrection.
It is sometimes suggested that the Resurrection was a conspiracy - that it was all made up. It would be very difficult to read the Gospels and reach that conclusion. There are many accounts in the New Testament from many sources, and most of Jesus’ followers gave their lives rather than deny the fact of the Resurrection.
Could people have been mistaken?
We might say one or two people made a mistake in reporting they’d met Jesus. But the number of people who are said to have interacted with Jesus suggests strong evidence. The primary sources of the New Testament regarded the Resurrection as its central message. There is no counter-evidence.
Thinking that that sort of thing just couldn’t happen is not good enough evidence to counter the Resurrection.
At what point in your life were you convinced of the divinity of Jesus and the truth of the Resurrection?
Through reading the Gospels, I had always believed it in a vague sort of way. But I didn’t crystallise the argument until I did some research about 15 years ago for my book 'The Resurrection of God Incarnate'.
What does your Christian faith give you?
It gives me great joy. It’s a wonderful blessing to think that I owe my life to a God with whom I can interact in prayer and who has a job of work for me to do. I also have a great hope of an after-life in which my life will be even more fulfilling.
UK & Ireland War Cry March 2013
Photo credit: War Cry pictures
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Resurrection
Where should a king be buried? Not under a Leicester car park, that’s for sure. The recent discovery of the remains of King Richard III - killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 - sparked debate about a final resting place befitting his noble status. Westminster Abbey was suggested as one possibility.
But next year, Richard will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral, near to where he was found. Designs for a kingly tomb are in hand.
When Christian missionary Dr Stanley Jones was challenged to reveal the whereabouts of the tomb of Jesus, he replied: ‘We have no tomb in our religion because we have no corpse.’
And there lies the fundamental difference between Christianity and other world religions. Christians do not worship or place wreaths of remembrance at the tomb of the founder of their religion. They believe in a living Lord, who has risen from the grave and conquered death. Through the knowledge of our sins being forgiven, we can receive the power to live as God intended and the promise of eternal life.
After the Crucifixion, the body of Jesus was taken to a nearby tomb and prepared for burial, according to Jewish custom.
Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene went there to grieve, but - to her surprise - the large stone sealing the entrance had been removed (see John 20:1). Thinking that Jesus’ body had been stolen, she ran to fetch the disciples. One of them entered the tomb and found nothing but folded burial clothes
.
To Mary, it was a double loss. Jesus had died, and now there was no body to weep over. She asked someone she thought to be the gardener where the body might be - but as soon as he spoke her name, she knew that it was Jesus himself.
Before Jesus conquered death and rose to life, he had to work through a number of crossroads decisions. Thankfully, he made the right choices. Because he followed God’s plan for his life, he has opened the way for everyone who believes in him to have eternal life.
UK & Ireland War Cry March 2013
Photo credit: War Cry pictures
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